It is often desirable to provide a program guide in an electronic format that provides programming information such as broadcast or cable television programming schedules for regularly scheduled programs and events. The electronic program guide (EPG) may be compiled by a service provider and delivered to the user via electronic transmissions systems. The electronic program guide is then displayable on an information handling system such that the user may view the programming information to decide which programs to watch and at what times to watch them.
One disadvantage of the traditional electronic program guide is that it typically only includes information for tuning devices directly coupled with the information handling system for which the electronic program guide is utilized. For example, an information handling system such as a personal computer and television (PC-TV) convergence device at a first room may be coupled with a cable system for receiving cable television programming signals via a coaxial cable or may be coupled to a satellite dish antenna for receiving satellite television programming signals via a microwave signal transmitted from a satellite. However, a television located in a second room remote from the first room may be coupled to a videocassette recorder (VCR) for displaying information recorded on a videocassette. Further, the VCR may be coupled to a radio frequency (RF) antenna for receiving a television programming signal broadcast over the airwaves. Since the electronic program guide typically provides information about information only regarding tuning devices directly coupled to the PC-TV, the VCR signal is not included as an available tuning device in the electronic program guide.
Furthermore, even if an information handling system in a first room were coupled with a remote tuning source located in a second room, for example, by utilization of a long coaxial cable run between the rooms, the user would be required to manually enter the identity and characteristics of the remote tuning source into the information handling system and the electronic program guide before the information handling system could properly utilize the device.
It would be therefore highly desirable to provide an electronic program guide for an information handling system that is capable of detecting remote tuning devices coupled to the information handling system through a local network, determining information about the tuning devices, and controlling the tuning devices via the network to provide a signal to the information handing system such that the signal is capable of being displayed on a display coupled to the information handling system.